Michelle Dunivan

Michelle Dunivan, PhD has a diverse work experience that spans over 15 years. Michelle is currently the Analytics Director at Best Friends Animal Society, where they are responsible for architecting product management, data science, and advanced analytics programs. Michelle also optimizes communication channels to support teams and develops governance competency for data quality.

Prior to this, Michelle served as the Research & Analytics Director at the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, where they centralized research teams and created the Data Integrity & Analytics department. Michelle managed a significant budget, launched enterprise statistical and data visualization software, and initiated a data lake project. Michelle also saved hundreds of work hours monthly through automation.

Before their role at Maricopa County, Michelle worked as a Report Developer at the Arizona Supreme Court, where they collected business requirements for report development and created and maintained a library of reports for all Arizona trial courts. Michelle also served as a Data Specialist, creating parameterized Crystal reports and calculating federally mandated court performance measures.

Michelle has also worked in academia, as a Research and Teaching Associate at the University of Arizona Communication Department. Michelle taught various communication courses and conducted research in the field.

Additionally, Michelle has held roles as a Consultant at Ventana CrossFit, a College Instructor at the Art Institute of Tucson, and a College Instructor at El Paso Community College and Dona Ana Community College.

Overall, Michelle's work experience showcases their expertise in analytics, research, data management, and teaching, making their a versatile professional with a strong background in data-driven decision making.

Michelle Dunivan, PhD has an extensive education history in the field of Communication. Michelle obtained their Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Communication from the University of Arizona, where they studied from 2009 to 2012. Prior to that, they earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Communication from The University of Texas at El Paso, where they attended from 2007 to 2008. Michelle began their academic journey by completing their Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English and Communication at New Mexico State University, where they studied from 2002 to 2005.

In addition to their academic degrees, Michelle has also obtained two additional certifications. In December 2020, they completed the SAS Visual Analytics 1 for SAS Viya: Basics certification program at SAS. Michelle further enhanced their skills in 2023 by completing the WLDA Moderators Mastery Program offered by Women Leaders in Data and AI.